I have to admit this: when the Ravens do something like initiate a search for an offensive coordinator, it benefits me and the rest of the professionals at WNST.

First, it gives us talk-radio fodder, which comes in particularly handy this time around because the Ravens are not playing football in this playoff campaign.

Next, it provides me and the others here a chance to gauge the temperature and sports-intelligence-level of our customer, either the listener or reader in WNST’s case.

It also allows for us to absorb what other members of the media in town are saying about the topic at hand. What sort of “take” do they offer? Is it knee-jerk and silly or well thought out and reasoned?

This offensive coordinator search has revealed an embarrassment of riches when it comes to all of those elements I listed above.

Unfortunately, the word “embarrassment” is more appropriate than I might have first realized.

It doesn’t matter to me what your position is with regard to the Ravens current search for a new offensive mind. You are all welcome to your own opinion with regard to what candidate makes the most sense and which one should be disregarded.

Here, though, is the one incredibly DUMB thing I’m hearing and reading — from a lot of you — about any of the candidates. And here’s where I’ll add that I heard at least two other local sports radio personalities author this exact same thought, so they’re just as dumb. Actually, they’re worse — more dumber (they used the word “dumber” in a movie title, I assume it’s a word) if you will — because they’re supposedly professional.

“Well, they better not hire Jim Hostler…have you seen his track record as an offensive coordinator? He sucks.”

“Kyle Shanahan? That guy just got fired in DC. He couldn’t get along with RGIII, how’s he gonna work with Flacco?”

“Just say no to Childress. He’s friends with Harbaugh.”

Dumb. Dumber. And more dumb.

Jim Hostler was the Offensive Coordinator in 2007 in San Francisco. It was a brief, one-year tenure. It didn’t go well. The team out there, by the way, was going through a stretch of finishing .500 or worse over eight straight seasons.

Seven seasons ago Jim Hostler was the Offensive Coordinator of the 49’ers and he failed. So, should that immediately disqualify him for this Ravens’ opening? Really, should it? You mean, in his six years in Baltimore, he hasn’t learned? Hasn’t improved? Hasn’t, perhaps, figured out a better way? I’m not campaigning for Hostler in any way, shape or form. I’m on record saying I think there are more qualified candidates than him. That said, the one thing I won’t say is — “well, he can’t do the job, did you see what he did in San Francisco?”

If you sell tape recorders for The Smith Company in 2010 and fail miserably, does that mean you’re incapable of selling tape recorders for The Jones Company in 2016 when there’s an opening there? What if during that six year span you had a better sales manager who taught you a lot while you were working for The Brown Company? You failed in 2010. Does that just mean you’re going to fail again in 2016? Of course not.

That’s what you all have done in Baltimore with regard to Jim Hostler.

“He sucked in 2007 so he’s gonna suck for us, now.”

Not necessarily.

Maybe he’ll have better players at his disposal in Baltimore in 2014. That would help.

I was the golf coach at John Carroll in Bel Air in 2011 and 2012. We played sixteen MIAA matches in that span. The team went 0-16. We were shut out in 7 of the 16 matches. Last year, I was hired by Calvert Hall and we won the MIAA golf championship for the first time since 1997. Thank God the people at Calvert Hall didn’t say, “Have you seen what Drew did over at John Carroll? They didn’t win a match. We can’t hire that loser.”

If you want to point to Jim Hostler’s work in Baltimore over the last six seasons and question what role he’s played in the development of the team’s receivers, I think that’s VERY fair. So would he, I assume. But to harp on and on and on and on about one season in San Francisco back in 2007 is just dumb. Sorry if that hurts. But it’s dumb.

By the way, Bill Belichick was 36-44 in Cleveland in the 1990’s. Look at HIS record in New England.

Tony Dungy fired and fell back in Tampa Bay in the early part of last decade. Some good, some bad. He turned out to be a champion and, most likely, a Hall of Famer.

People in sports get fired all the time. It doesn’t make them a guaranteed failure down the road.

I’m glad we’re smart enough to pass that along to you.

I hope you listen.

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The times, they are a changin’ over at Towson University.

And if you have a Twitter account and you follow @WNST, you just might see that for yourself next Wednesday night.

We all know the football team has experienced a glorious turn around over the last five seasons under Rob Ambrose, but are you aware that the men’s basketball program has also been rebuilt from a 1-win team in 2011-2012 to a legitimate CAA title contender in this, his 3rd season at the school?

It’s true.

Towson basketball has experienced a great rebirth and this year, they’re spending their first ever campaign in the brand new SECU Arena, located a stone’s throw from their outstanding football stadium.

Here’s where WNST comes in.

I’m taking eight of you – plus a guest you bring – to next Wednesday night’s home game against Northeastern at SECU Arena. You’ll attend the game for free, sit in the SECU luxury box with me and the other WNST winners, and have food and drink supplied for free by the fine folks from SECU. We even some courtside seats you can all share throughout the game.

What’s the catch, Drew? Is that what you’re asking?

There isn’t one.

I’m just a nice guy. And so are the people at SECU — and they’re proud of the arena with their name on it and they want you to see it next Wednesday night.

How do you win the tickets?

Easy — today, from 6am to 5pm, tweet the words “See You At SECU” to us (@WNST). That’s it. By doing that, you’re entered. We’ll then pick four of you at random today and announce the winners via Twitter around 5:30 pm.

And if you don’t win today, we’re doing the same thing again tomorrow, Friday, January 17.

Go to Twitter today from 6am to 5pm and tweet the words “See You At SECU” to us @WNST and you might, actually, see ME at SECU Arena next Wednesday night!